Recently on Facebook some virtual assistants (VAs) and personal assistants (PAs) were asking about how to get more work, or what they could do to grow their business. I’ve also talked a lot about using VAs, and have one right now, though I usually haven’t been good about having a clear strategy of things to do that will actually help …

>The course is FULL already. < I’ve been working on Reach Your Readers – my first online course – for about a year. That doesn’t include the year I spent overcoming my terror of being on camera. But I had to learn a bunch of software, figure out which platform to use (I went with Teachable), and learn a whole bunch …

Sometimes I get manic and think something is a GREAT idea. I get really excited about it, and think everybody else is going to be excited, too. One time I planned a Twilight-themed dance party (don’t judge me). One of the movies was coming out (I don’t remember which one), so I booked a space at a club, got the city’s …

UPDATE: I made a video talking about this stuff but it’s down at the bottom of this post. Scroll down to see it.      I’ve been self-publishing for about a decade, and have sold thousands of books. I haven’t made a living (yet), and like most self-publishing gurus and experts, I make my living in services rather than with …

On this page I’m going to keep an updated time-line of what I’m working on. That will give you an idea of what kind of stuff to expect from me. I don’t always stick to my own schedules (sometimes life gets in the way). But at least it helps me organize my plans and goals. Summer 2016 I thought I’d …

One of the things authors always ask is “How can I find more time for my writing?” But what they mean is, “How can I just write all the time, write what I want, and not do any marketing?” The question usually comes up from either a long-term inability to finish their book; insecurity about which project they should be …

Since finishing my PhD in literature, my wife and I are truly location independent and write full-time. One of the biggest productivity hacks I’ve found is to put myself in beautiful and inspiring environments (that are mostly distraction free). While some argue they can “write from anywhere” – I’m a firm believer in what Cal Newport calls the “grand gesture” mode …

I wrote an article a year ago about what I see most self-publishing authors doing wrong. They’re still doing it. So I made a new post… with a big infographic. If you want to help indie authors and self-publishers succeed (and gently nudge them away from being annoying and spammy) please share – you can add this infographic on your …

This week a bunch of projects came together quickly, including this one, which I started last November. I had the story, courtesy of Suzanne Gochenouer and the art is by Donovan Scherer It took a few hours to format, then design the book covers, and then upload to Amazon. 24 hours later it’s published. I really think this is a great project though… …

Since I started writing fiction, I learned my design skills and art background make me really good at visualizing scenes. I even developed some mental tricks for creating powerful, resonant scenes that stick in people’s minds. I started thinking of each scene as one perfect picture, with a flash of color to draw the eye – an object representing the …